Dancing in the Kitchen with Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef

Shauna James Ahern at the Flying Apron Cafe in Seattle, holding a copy of her brand new cookbook: Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef: A Love Story with 100 Tempting Recipes."

Lessons in Cooking with Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef

Several months ago I met Jaime though my blog. Jaime lives close to me and her daughter had recently been diagnosed with celiac disease. Jaime desperately wanted help making foods her daughter could enjoy. Mostly... bread. Good gluten free bread.

You see, Madelyn loves mustard sandwiches. Yep. Just plain 'ol mustard slapped between two slices of bread. And the poor girl had missed her sandwich for nearly 6 weeks after being diagnosed. No bread. No sandwiches.

Soon after meeting Jaime, I taught a small gluten free baking class and showed her how to bake good gluten free bread.  That small class and one little girl's desire to have a mustard sandwich began an immediate and lasting friendship. I now talk to Jaime several times a week. We often connect on Facebook and through email. She makes me laugh, she's learning how to bake, and she's hungry for more knowledge about anything and everything gluten free. This made us fast friends.

When Shauna (Gluten-Free Girl) sent a request out on her blog a few weeks ago asking for people to try several of her recipes from the new cookbook, I gladly volunteered! After meeting Shauna in Seattle it was evident to me how much she wanted to share her passion for good food! I emailed Jaime soon afterwards and asked her if she wanted to help me make Shauna's recipes. I said, "Let's have a cooking party!" Thankfully, Jaime jumped at the chance! She couldn't wait to get a sneak preview of Shauna' new cookbook: "Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef: A love story with 100 tempting recipes."

Sometimes stories are best told through pictures (even when you're a lousy photographer... Ahem...) Saturday evening our families gathered together for a gluten free cooking party. Here is our story of Dancing in the Kitchen with Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef.

The first thing we did was make Shauna's Crusty Bread from the cookbook. While I made the bread dough, Jaime made the chocolate peanut butter brownies for our dessert. I love Shauna's method of making crusty french bread. We allowed the dough to rise free form in a greased bowl while we started the homemade gluten free pasta.

We used fresh eggs from a local farm to make Shauna's gluten free pasta dough. We made the dough by hand because I wanted Jaime to know what the dough should feel like. Not too wet, not too dry. Just slightly tacky.

Meet Madelyn. The mustard-sandwich loving celiac daughter of Jaime. She was eager to help us roll out and cut the pasta dough.

The best part of the whole evening for me was having everybody pitch in to make pasta. Families often love each other through cooking. Shauna & Danny's cookbook is one such story of loving each other through food.  Making Shauna's pasta was a great way to bring everybody together to learn a new skill.  Thoughts of future "gluten free pasta making parties" warms my heart!

Sarah from Celiac in the City shared a tip with me for hand-rolling out the pasta. Use a straight-edge like this ruler to get straight lines and evenly wide strands of pasta. We cut the noodles using a pizza cutter.

It took us over an hour to roll out all of the pasta (we made a double batch!) By that point everybody was hungry so we decided to make Shauna & Danny's Garlic-Almond Sauce with seared scallops. This sauce was really delicious.  Bold flavors of garlic intertwined with the smoothness of extra virgin olive oil.  This recipe calls for marcona almonds which I had never used before. A lovely thing about Shauna and Danny is that they encourage you to try new ingredients and techniques in the kitchen.

Once our hunger was appeased with scallops and garlic almond sauce, we started prepping the ingredients for the main dish. Fresh pasta with Anchovies, Lemon, and Olives.

The first instruction was to cook the pasta. It was beautiful. Jaime and I had to make ourselves stop eating the freshly cooked pasta right out of the colander. Homemade gluten free pasta a bit heavier than boxed pasta (especially when you make it by hand) so expect to have a filling meal!

Madelyn helped Jaime zest the lemons. They also squeezed  & strained fresh lemon juice for the pasta sauce.

The girls decided they just wanted fresh pasta with butter. Can't really blame them there. The pasta was absolutely delicious by itself! As you can see, Madelyn was a fan!

Next we made Shauna and Danny's beautiful sauce with olives, anchovies, capers,  lemon juice, and white wine. The pasta's texture worked so well with the rich sauce.  Personally I found the dish to be a bit salty with a lot of bold but competing flavors. The best part was learning the techniques to make the pasta and use it in a main dish like this with a basic sauce. I've truly been inspired!

Who's hungry?

We served Shauna's fresh crusty gluten free bread with our pasta. The bread was incredible. Plain and simple it's just great bread, gluten free or not! Personally, I think the cookbook is worth the cost for the bread recipe alone. The bread was my favorite part of the whole meal.

Finally, for dessert... Shauna's Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies. Jaime made these to perfection. The entire crowd loved them. And to tell you the truth ...every one of those brownies was eaten! Every. Single. One.

And Madelyn was one happy gluten free girl!

Thank you so much Shauna & Danny for inspiring us to learn more, to use bold ingredients, and to get in our kitchens more often. We loved being a part of your story!

Many thanks to Jaime, Jeremy, Madelyn, and Kendall for joining us at our cooking party! I hope this is the start of a brand-new tradition for our families! We loved cooking and sharing these recipes with you!

For information on how to win a copy of Shauna & Danny's cookbook, please visit the Gingerlemongirl facebook page. Details will be posted soon!

For more information about Shauna & Danny's cookbook, please visit them at Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef.

Gluten Free Cookbook Review: Make it Fast, Cook it Slow (and a giveaway!)

I have been slightly obsessed with my Crock Pot lately. And I have a very good reason. THIS cookbook was just published by none other than Stephanie O'Dea, author of the highly popular gluten free cooking blog, A Year of Slow Cooking. I like to pretend that Stephanie and I are really good friends and she lives next door.

What?

You don't pretend things like that when you find a gluten free cookbook author that you absolutely adore?

You will LOVE this gluten free slow cooker recipe book. Stephanie is a completely down-to-earth, un-snobby, un-foodie mom, wife, and home cook. Her writing is easy, friendly, and welcoming. Her first priority is her husband and children and slow cooking meals is simply a delicious bonus.

Stephanie took on the challenge of slow cooking a meal every day in 2008. She wanted to provide healthier meals for her family by cooking at home. She accomplished this goal by chronicling it on her very popular blog, "A Year of Slow Cooking." Stephanie's clever, honest remarks (the "Verdict") about every recipe she tried is what makes her blog and her book so compelling. There were many amazing recipes... and there were also bombs... and each one was really fun to read! Stephanie was honest about each and every recipe and also shared the reactions of her entire family: which could range from everybody LOVING the dish, to her kids not being willing to even touch a meal because of the aroma!

(But no worries, the cookbook contains absolutely NO bombs!)

Stephanie doesn't pretend to be a master chef. She admittedly says she burns anything in the oven and the slow cooker offered her a way of cooking that allowed her to prepare foods easily, cook foods without burning them, and a way to be more organized in her kitchen.

The recipes in this gluten free cookbook run the gamut of very easy to advanced. Many recipes have a short ingredient list with items that can be found in any local grocery store. Even if you are NOT gluten free, you can buy this book. Stephanie adds gluten free notes because her family eats gluten free, but this book is for any family and any cook!

I've tried 5 recipes so far from Stephanie's book:

• Butternut Squash Soup = My verdict: Amazing... a smooth creamy soup without any butter or cream and it was so easy to make overnight in my crock pot! I've had it for lunches this week!
  

• Bread Pudding = My verdict: My first attempt at "baking"something in the crock pot.. and you better believe I'll be doing it again... like maybe tonight, or tomorrow, and this weekend... but sometime soon because this stuff was GOOD!
  

• Black-Eyed Pea Soup = My Verdict: I made a vegan version of this recipe and it was really delicious! I've always loved cooking beans in the crock pot and this soup is one reason why!

• Chicken Parmesan = My Verdict: Nope, I didn't taste one bite of this since I'm still doing the vegan diet thing, but my husband and my inlaw's LOVED LOVED LOVED this dish. They said it was fantastic and there were absolutely NO leftovers. So obviously it was really good.
  

• Homemade Chicken Broth = My Verdict: I made this last night for my husband. He LOVES homemade chicken soup, and honestly I probably haven't it made it in a few years. This was a simple way to make homemade broth and it felt very domestic! I love learning how to make things myself! Michael ate two bowls for dinner last night and took another huge container for lunch today. I'm assuming that means it was pretty darn delicious. I had Amy's Black Bean soup (the whole vegan diet thing again)... and no leftovers for lunch *sigh*
  

Other recipes from Stephanie O'Dea's "Make it Fast, Cook It Slow" I plan on trying REALLY soon:

• Pumpkin Spice Latte
• White Bean and Pesto Spread
• Sun-Dried Tomato Dip
• Baked Oatmeal
• Breakfast Risotto
• Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole
• Broccoli Casserole
• Green Bean Casserole
  
• Refried Beans
• Enchilada Casserole
• Tamale Pie
• Cabbage Rolls
• Lobster Bisque
• Cioppino
• Cedar Planked Salmon
• "Fried Chicken"
• Sloppy Joes
• Ratatouille
• Rice Krispies Treats
• Chex Party Mix
• Cheesecake
• Blueberry Buckle
• Apple Crisp
• And the list just goes on and on and on... seriously!

My copy of this cookbook already has so many dog-eared pages, food stains, and creases in the binding that I know it will hold a permanent place on my very limited counter space!

I honestly cannot say enough good things about this cookbook. This book is incredibly fun to read and it will encourage you want to cook more things at home!

It also just so happens that I have two copies of this book. Hyperion, the publisher, contacted me several months ago and offered to send me a copy of the book to review. That was fine, but I told them that I had already pre-ordered my copy! As soon as I heard that Stephanie was publishing a book, I pre-ordered! I knew already that I would love this book. Hyperion sent a copy anyway, so now I have this lovely extra copy of an awesome, gluten free, best-slow-cooker-recipe-book ever...

Would you like it?

I promise I won't send my food-stained, dog-eared copy!

Here's how you can enter yourself in the "Make it Fast, Cook it Slow" Giveaway:

1. If you haven't already, sign up to receive Ginger Lemon Girl by email:
   

Enter your email address:

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2. AND leave a comment below and tell me your favorite slow cooker recipe!

3. If you are already a subscriber, leave a comment below anyway and tell me why you'd love a copy of this book!

You have until October 31, Halloween 2009 to register for this giveaway!

And then it will be time to get slow-cooking!

Carrie's Disclaimer:

Honestly, I really just wanted to write:
This is seriously an awesome cookbook. It's the best gluten free cookbook ever. Hands down.

NO, I wasn't paid by Hyperion.. I didn't even want the free copy...

I WANTED to BUY a copy (which I did) because Stephanie is such a cool person and we food bloggers have to support each other...

Now go and buy a copy of this cookbook RIGHT now, because you need it and everybody in your family needs one for Christmas.

I wonder if Rivel would pay me to endorse their Crock Pots, I could use another one... that I might just be willing to do! ;-P

Susan O'Brien's "No-Meat" Meatballs (Gluten Free, Soy Free, Vegan)

Does that look like a gluten free vegan meal to you? It's one of those fabulous recipes that I wish I could say I created!

This "meat"loaf is from Susan O'Brien's new cookbook "The Gluten Free Vegan". I bought this cookbook out of desperation a few weeks ago when I decided to follow a vegan diet to see if I could naturally lower my cholesterol. It was one of the very few books I could find with both gluten free AND vegan recipes.

This recipe absolutely did not disappoint. It is actually a recipe for "no-meat" meatballs, but I was in a hurry and decided just to make a loaf. It worked perfectly! In my three weeks of eating vegan foods, this is one of the best meals I have made. Here is a list of just a few of the great recipes in Ms. O'Brien's book:

• Mexican Quinoa Salad
• Yam Enchiladas with Pomegranate Sauce
• Stuffed Butternut Squash
• Asparagus Risotto
• No-Bake Chocolate Cookies
• Coconut Pancakes

What I like most about Ms. O'Brien's new cookbook is that is she doesn't solely rely on soy-based meat substitutes. Since I have to follow a soy free diet, it can be hard to find vegan recipes that don't include products made from soy such as tofu or tempeh or wheat gluten products like seitan. This recipe has NO soy or gluten whatsoever, and it turned out beautifully!

My only mistake in making this recipe was that my jar of crushed rosemary didn't have a "sprinkle" lid on it, and I accidentally dumped half the container into the "meatloaf." So I tried fishing out as much of the overpowering spice as I could (the recipe only calls for 1/4 teaspoon -- yet I know I poured in several tablespoons!) and I still thought the finished result was delicious, but next time I definitely won't overdo the rosemary! Look at your spice lids before you pour! lol...

I recently contacted Ms. O'Brien and asked her if I could share a few recipes from her new cookbook with you and she graciously responded, "Absolutely!"

So you can thank Susan O'Brien and her new cookbook, The Gluten Free Vegan for this delicious recipe!



Susan O'Brien's "No-Meat Meatballs"
from her cookbook:
The Gluten Free Vegan c. 2007, pg. 96
Reprinted with permission from the author


1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for sauteing (Carrie's note: I just used non-stick cooking spray)
1/4 cup well-washed and chopped leeks, white part only
1/2 cup chopped red onion
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups cleaned and finely diced mushrooms
1 cup cooked brown rice or rice medley (Susan's note: I cook the rice in vegetable stock to give it more flavor.)
1/2 cup cooked, mashed potatoes
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
Pinch of dried thyme
1 tablespoon organic tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon course kosher salt or sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper,or more to taste

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit if you wish to bake rather than saute the meatballs.
  
• In a large skillet, heat the oil and saute the leek and onion over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook for a minute or two. Add the mushrooms and cook until they are soft. Transfer the cooked vegetables to a large mixing bowl. Add the cooked rice, mashed potatoes, pecans, herbs, tomato paste, salt, and pepper.
  
• Press tightly into balls (press hard, so they'll stay together) and saute on all sides in a large skillet in 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Once the balls are browned, lower the meat to medium low and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.
  
• If you prefer to bake the meatballs, place them on a large cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until heated through, about 30 minutes.
  

(Printer-friendly version.)


Carrie's Cooking Notes:

• If you want to make a "meat"loaf out of this recipe, simply pour the mixture into a greased loaf pan and bake for 30 minutes on 350 degrees. We poured our favorite barbecue sauce on top. Yum!

• I decided to serve yukon gold mashed potatoes with this meal, so the first thing I did was boil the mashed potatoes so I would have 1/2 cup mashed and ready to go to make the "meat"loaf. I love the yukon gold potatoes because they *look* like they have butter in them since they are a lovely buttery yellow color. I simply added 3 cloves of mashed garlic, a tablespoon of coconut oil, and almond milk to the potatoes. Being the carb addicts we are, they were our favorite part of the meal!
  

• I just LOVED how easy and delicious this meat "loaf" turned out. I never would have imagined LIKING let alone TRULY enjoying a "meatless" meatloaf. I would serve this to my meat crazy family and I think they would really enjoy it. The combination of flavors with the mushrooms, the leeks and red onion, and pecans, and the herbs... this recipe is DEFINITELY a winner in my book! Enjoy!

No Menu Monday, A Birthday, and a Cookbook of the Week

Our red plum trees are in full bloom this week!

It's nearly here. The big one. It's a milestone birthday for yours truly! Yes. I will be the dreaded 3-0.

The funny thing is I'm actually not dreading it at all. I'm 30 years old and I've earned every gray that is quietly sneaking into my auburn-brown hair (okay...maybe I didn't "earn" all of them!), I have a solid faith and I know who I really am, I am married to the most wonderful man on this earth, we have a home of our own, 4 cats who love us, an incredible family, devoted and loving friends, we are happy and blessed and I am glad to be here! I think "30" is not an end, but a new beginning!




That being said, this week will not have a standard menu. We'll be off work near the end of the week to celebrate my birthday and to have some rare time together at home. We'll probably have sandwiches, a breakfast night, spaghetti, and I have given Michael specific instructions to make me a gluten free chocolate cake (and since the poor guy really doesn't enjoy cooking, I handed him a bag of Pamela's Ultimate Fudge Brownie Mix.... it has a recipe for cake on the side. Hopefully he won't chicken out on me!)

**********

This week's cookbook is another oldie but goodie! When I was little I remember watching Jeff Smith's "The Frugal Gourmet" on PBS with my dad. It was in the years before the Food Network and the availability of cooking shows around the clock on satellite television. We always looked forward to watching the show and hearing Jeff's antics on which cuisine he was preparing for his viewers that week.

Jeff Smith, was not only a retired Methodist minister, but he was an early "healthy living" pioneer, focusing on fresh, healthy meals made with "real" ingredients and whole grains. The Frugal Gourmet also knew the value of a dollar and explained how to make meals on a budget. He would also dedicate several weeks of shows to favorite foods of a specific country. He loved international cuisine and one was of the first American "celebrity chefs" to focus on global foods. He would travel and spent time in local farmer's markets of Italy or France, buying farm fresh produce and cheeses. He loved local wines and vineyards. He was a great chef and I love his cookbooks. My well loved, dog eared copy of "The Frugal Gourmet" (c. 1984) has tons of fabulous recipes and great cooking techniques. Many of these recipes are naturally gluten free. You will also love reading Jeff's informative and funny comments on each recipe! This is an incredibly fun cookbook to read!

I'll share this recipe with you today! I have not made it yet, but I love lamb! If you make this, please share with me how it turned out!

Lamb and Artichoke Stew -- A Greek Recipe
(pg. 200, The Frugal Gourmet c. 1984, ISBN 0-345-33523-6)

"I have just this minute realized that writing cookbooks is much harder for me than I would have ever imagined. It is hard not because I have to explain myself, but because I have to think about these recipes, and it is not even close to lunchtime. This lamb and artichoke stew from Greece cause me particular pain. You must make this! You must! -- Jeff Smith"

4 Tbsp. butter
2 pounds boneless lamb, cubed
3 yellow onions, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
Salt/Pepper, to taste
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1 cup dry white wine
2 (14 oz.) cans artichokes in brine, drained
1/2 tsp. dried dill weed
3 Tbsp. lemon juice

Directions:

In a very large frying pan met the butter. Add the lamb and saute until lightly browned. Remove the meat. Saute the yellow onions along with the garlic and parsley. Place the meat, onions, garlic, and parsley in a heavy kettle, and add salt, pepper, and the tomato paste, and white wine. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours or until the lamb is tender. Add artichokes, dill weed, and lemon juice. Simmer until all is tender about 1 1/2 hours.

Serve over pilaf. Along with the stew over the pilaf serve a nice fruit tray and a large salad. I would start the meal with a pate or terrine.

Have a terrific week!

I'll be posting a lovely banana nut bread recipe in a few days!!

This Week's Menu (March 3rd - March 7th)

Mondays are so sneaky. They always creep up on me before I'm ready! I don't know how they do that.

This week I'm starting a new feature on Ginger Lemon Girl!

Most Monday's along with my menu I'm going to highlight a cookbook that is on my bookshelf. I'll share why I enjoy the cookbook, give a brief description, and share a recipe within the book. I'll also be using one or more recipes from the cookbook in my menu plan for the week. I will occasionally repeat a cookbook that I am particularly fond of!

This week's cookbook is the "More-with-Less" cookbook compiled by Doris Janzen Longacre.



I love this cookbook! It is unique in that it was commissioned by the Mennonite Central Committee in Akron, PA. The Church wanted to compile a cookbook which focused on using less of the world's limited food resources.

The book contains countless suggestions on how we can better use the resources we currently have, along with hints on what foods we should buy and how we can buy them economically. Many of the recipes in this book are naturally gluten free (and most of the ones that are not, can be easily converted.) The recipes come from Mennonite church members around the globe! The book gives excellent menu suggestions and explains recipes thoroughly. One of the best features of the cookbook is that it contains recipes from around the world. There are recipes for West African Groundnut Stew, an array of fresh vegetable and meat curries, skillet dishes, soybean and tofu dishes, a whole vegetarian Indian meal, etc....

If you are interested in a cookbook that teaches you how to better use food resources, how to make more nutritious and delicious meals, how to stretch your food dollar, and how to make more vegetarian and/or meat-free meals, The "More-With-Less" Cookbook should be on your shelf!

This Week's Menu

Monday
Hotdogs
(with Kate's Sandwich wrap bread)
Carol's Chili
Carrot and Cabbage Slaw
French Fries



Tuesday
Spinach, Swiss, and Turkey Bacon Quiche
Fresh Pineapple
Savory Baked Butternut Squash Bites



Wednesday
Cottage Lasagna (From More with Less Cookbook pg. 123)
Green Beans



Thursday
Black Bean Tamale Pie
Green Leaf Salad



Friday
Creamy Chicken Casserole (from More with Less Cookbook pg. 124)
Steamed Broccoli and Cauliflower



Breakfasts and Baked Goods
Grandmother's Brown Betty (from More with Less Cookbook, pg. 271)
Elizabeth Barbone's Easy Gluten Free Sandwich Bread
Big Soft Vanilla Sugar Cookies
Kate's Sandwich Wrap Bread





This week's featured recipe from:
"The More with Less Cookbook" by Doris Janzen Longacre c, 2000, 25th Anniversary Edition. (ISBN # 0-8361-9263-X) pg. 131


Pakistani Kima

"It's just a quick an easy hamburger curry - so quick and so good!"
-- Ann Naylor, Ames, Iowa


Saute in skillet:
3 Tbsp butter or margarine
1 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced

Add:
1 lb. ground beef

Brown well, and stir in:
1 Tbsp. curry powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
dash pepper
dash each: cinnamon, ginger, and tumeric
2 cups cooked tomatoes
2 potatoes, diced
2 cups frozen peas or green beans

Cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Serve with rice. Serves 5-6.

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Be sure to check out Convivality, who is hosting the swap this week for more yummy gluten free menus!

Also for more great menus of all kinds, head over to Laura's Org Junkie!